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Young Goodman Brown
"Young Goodman Brown" is a short story published in 1835 by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story takes place in 17th century Puritan New England, a common setting for Hawthorne's works, and addresses the Calvinist/Puritan belief that all of humanity exists in a state of depravity, except those who are born in a state of grace. Hawthorne frequently attempts to expose the hypocrisy of Puritan culture in his literature. In a symbolic fashion, the story follows Young Goodman Brown's journey into self-scrutiny, which results in his loss of virtue and belief. Plot Synopsis Young Goodman Brown is setting out from his home in Salem village, saying goodbye to his pretty wife,Faith, who's wearing her new pink ribbons. He has a little task to attend to that night, but Faith doesn't want him to go. She's afraid of the dark and of what might happen to her all alone. Goodman Brown tells her to say her prayers and go to sleep. As he sets off into the forest, Goodman Brown meets an Old Man, who has an uncanny resemblance to Brown. As it turns out, the Old Man was good friends with Goodman Brown's father and grandfather. The Old Man intimates that he is the Devil, and offers to lend Goodman Brown his walking stick, which is carved in the shape of a snake. Goodman Brown insists that he and his forefathers have always been good Christian men. As they go further into the forest, they come across Goody Cloyse, an old woman known in the village for her piety and good deeds. Goodman Brown hides so she won't see him, so he can avoid discussing why he is walking through the forest at night with the Old Man. However, she meets up with the Old Man in the forest, where she confirms that the Old Man is indeed the Devil and reveals herself as a witch. She's on the way to an evil ceremony, where two new converts will be welcomed into a dark cult. More and more people from the village, including the preacher and the governor's wife, filter through the woods. Goodman Brown is shocked that so many seemingly upright citizens secretly practice devil worship. Grappling with this information, Goodman Brown looks up to see a pink ribbon float down from a branch. Crying, 'My Faith is gone!', he realizes that even his beloved wife has gone to the dark side. In a clearing, a large crowd has gathered around a bonfire. They chant twisted versions of hymns and make ready to welcome the two new converts. A veiled woman is led to the fire, where she stands next to Goodman Brown. It's Faith. The two stare into each other's eyes as a dark figure says they have been initiated into the truth of evil: from now on, they will see the darkness lurking underneath everything. Desperate, Goodman Brown screams to Faith to look to Heaven and resist temptation. Suddenly, Goodman Brown finds himself alone in the forest. It's morning. Had the whole thing been a wretched dream? He staggers back to the village, where he's disgusted by the sight of the preacher preparing his sermon and Goody Cloyse teaching a little girl her prayers. Arriving home, he refuses to speak to Faith, who is again wearing her pink ribbons. He lives out the rest of his life in suspicion and despair, and dies a lonely, bitter old man. Tossup Questions # In this work, the central "sable form" promises to reveal the "fountain of all wicked arts" which supplies more evil impulses than human power to proselytes "beneath a canopy of fire." Its protagonist, who at the beginning had eyed the pink ribbons on his three-month wife, becomes so morbid at this story's close that he is buried without a Bible verse on his tombstone. Found in its author's Mosses of an Old Manse, its protagonist meets Deacon Gookin and Goody Close in the woods, after leaving Salem for a meeting involving Native American medicine men. For 10 points, name this Nathaniel Hawthorne short story in which the titular character partakes in a dream-like Satanic ritual.